


HERE IS HOPE

by LAZOU



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:02:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 23,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25131322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LAZOU/pseuds/LAZOU
Summary: A new interpretation of End Game that focuses on the feelings of the characters.There are 3 major differences with the movie:- No time travel,- Captain Marvel doesn't exist- Peter hasn't disappeared.Irondad and Spiderson will be a major part of this story.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Avengers Team, Peter Parker & Thanos, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 2
Kudos: 20





	1. War landscape

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [IL Y A DE L'ESPOIR](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24545368) by [LAZOU](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LAZOU/pseuds/LAZOU). 



> Hello! This is my first fanfiction, I hope you'll like it! English is not my native language so please bear with me! And a huge thank to Sarah, my wonderful beta reader who translated this story.  
> LAZOU

The fate of the universe was decided in 3 hours and 7 minutes. The battle began at 10:32 a.m. This was the time displayed on the screens in the Iron Man armor that Dr. Banner was using when the barrier protecting the country had been opened. At 1:39 p.m. they had lost and half the living creatures had vanished into thin air.

Dazed, the remaining fighters converged, without consulting each other, on the royal lodgings. They walked without thinking, as if hypnotized, gazing into space, their throats tied. And when the Avengers were all together, they could only see those who weren't there. 

No one spoke. The sound of the jungle had become deafening... Every twig that cracked seemed to make a crashing sound. Nature took its course, oblivious to the drama unfolding. Nothing prevented it from continuing, without realizing that for once, humans seemed to be frozen.

Shuri, the princess of Wakanda, watched over her half-destroyed kingdom from her tower. She felt as if her brain had stopped functioning. She could do nothing but look out the window, unable to move or even think.

When the girl regained consciousness after being knocked out, she approached the window to see the end of the battle. She had failed in her mission. The only one she had been assigned to. But what could she do against those monsters? She wasn't a superhero. She was nothing. An unfulfilled scientist. And now the enemy captured Vision. It was all up to the fighters. Panting, she could only watch the fighting and pray.

For a moment, she thought they were winning. The appearance of Thor and his allies had provided a turning point in the battle. The Nordic god had crushed a large number of aliens with a single bolt of lightning, giving the princess renewed hope. The earthlings had wiped out most of the enemies who were no longer numerous enough to attack the Spirit Stone. She felt reassured. But she could not see what was happening in the shade of the trees. She didn't see Wanda kill Vision, nor the appearance of a purple-skinned giant.

Suddenly, a silence fell on the battlefield. An agonizing silence, like the calm before the storm.The world seemed to turn in slow motion. Then, half of the remaining fighters fell to dust. All of a sudden, without warning, although they were never meant to disappear. It was as if an illusion was vanishing. Slowly, almost aesthetically, they faded away, their ashes dancing in the wind. They hadn't had time to talk. They disappeared without a word, as if swept away by a movement of the hand, the famous trick of a magician, but without trickery, thief of life, with no possible return.

Those who had escaped remained frozen. They watched the vanishing, their eyes wide open, their breathing blocked, unable to think. Then they began to panic, running around looking for the disappeared. Names echoed in every corner of the plain. But eventually the voices died, strangled by the silence. No one was able to understand what was happening. Shuri wasn't even afraid of disappearing herself, she couldn't imagine that it could happen. In her, there was only astonishment. Then, finally, she understood one thing: they had lost.

Now the princess was watching the outcome of the fighting. The plain in front of the castle had been ravaged. The dozens of alien machines, which had killed many of her subjects, had left as a trace of their passage huge furrows in the earth, reshaping the landscape. Their huge carcasses lay here and there on the battlefield. The black smoke they produced ensured that these monsters would not get up again. 

War changes the landscape. It makes it ugly and marks it forever. Wakanda has a very advanced technology that could easily restore the country to its original setting. But it will never be the same again. It will only be a fake landscape, reshaped by the hand of men. It would only conceal what had happened. But no one will ever be able to forget. Shuri could never look at the plain in front of the castle in the same way again. Even after the repairs, she would still see it as a river of blood.

From the top of her tower, the young princess could smell the scent of death, a mixture of burning, blood and despair. The corpses, friends or enemies, mixed on the ground, all equal in the kingdom of darkness. So many lives wasted! Shuri felt nauseous, but she was unable to turn away from this vision of horror. Horrible but strangely mesmerizing. The girl wanted to continue to watch, to observe, to forget time.

“Shuri!”

Okoye's panicked voice allowed the girl to come out of her trance. She turned around. The army General looked miserable. She was covered with dust, had tears in her eyes. She clutched her spear tightly in her hand and seemed unable to let go. As if she could fight what was happening, as if without her weapon she was vulnerable, danger still lurking around every corner.

“Are you here?”

Okoye seemed to need vocal confirmation, as if she was afraid that the girl was just an illusion, or that she would disappear too. Shuri forced her trembling voice to come out.

“Okoye? What's going on?”

“They disappeared! They've all disappeared! The king... The queen mother…”

The soldier stumbled over her words, as if she couldn't understand them. Her voice was weak but audible because she needed to get the message out. Even though it made the event more real. Shuri understood very well what she was implying, but until the military commander made it clear, she could still hope she had misunderstood.

“What?” she asked in a white voice. “What do you mean? Where are my brother and mother?”

Okoye gave her a sorry look, her eyes shining brightly. She took a deep breath before she uttered the dreaded words in a clear voice.

“Gone. Vanished into dust.”

Shuri had the feeling that cold water was flowing in his veins. She slipped to the ground, trembling, her breathing quickened. Her whole world was collapsing. What was she still doing there when her whole family was gone? Since her brother had taken over Black Panther's armor when her father died a year ago, she was afraid that he too would fall on the battlefield. But she would never tell him that. And now her mother disappears along with her brother! She had no family left.

“Why?”

That was the only word she could manage to say. She knew Okoye didn't have the answer to her question, that no one did. Except maybe the monster who had made everyone disappear. And then again... Can a maniac have a justification for his actions?

“Shuri?”

Okoye's voice was soft, tears finally streaming down her face as she saw the girl's distress. She came closer and closer. She needed an order. That's how she moved forward in her life. And now she had failed her king's clear order to watch over his country. She needed a new one. Something simple so she could recover and start over. And the only person who had the power to do that now was the little princess crying in front of her. She was sorry that this heavy burden was coming back to her, but they needed a leader around whom to gather. She knew that Shuri had the shoulders to do it.And Okoye would do anything she could to help. 

She knelt down beside the girl and put one hand on her shoulder. The princess slowly raised her head and their eyes met.The bodies were trembling. They were still in shock, but they had a duty towards the people.

“I'm sorry. But, um... What are we going to do now?”

Shuri didn't want to answer. She didn't feel like moving. She wanted to stay alone and cry her eyes out. But Okoye's sentence at least reminded her that she wasn't alone. Now she was the sole representative of the royal family. It was up to her to make the decisions. And even though she had never really wanted to play that role, she was now the leader of her people. She didn't have time to complain. She had to rebuild. She should be able to do that. She wiped her cheeks and raised her head in a determined manner.

“Very well,” she said. “Call the remaining Avengers, get them down here. Also call M'Baku, see if he's still here. We've got to get organized.”

ooOoOoOoo

Captain America, Black Widow, War Machine, Hulk, Thor. That's what was left of the Avengers. Plus a talking raccoon. Shuri made a note in her head to ask him if she could study him later, when they're done with all this. These are the most powerful beings on the planet put together. And they all looked distraught. They were covered with dirt and filth. Their hair was a mess, and you couldn't tell the color of it anymore. Captain America and Black Widow's blonde locks were gray. Grey with ashes, dust and misery. Most of them were covered with bleeding scratches, but none of them had serious injuries. Blood has always been the price of freedom. Yet today, blood seemed not to be flowing enough. 

The room they were in seemed too big. It was designed for crisis situations and had the capacity to accommodate the five chiefs of the Wakanda tribes and all their guards. But now the said warlords had fallen. And the nine people there looked like children trapped in a world that had become too big. 

The left wall of this long room was covered with large windows overlooking the uninhabited city. The battlefield was on the other side of the castle. Otherwise, Shuri would have asked to close the shutters and hide the landscape. She didn't want to see it anymore. But there, every ray of sunshine that came through the windows was welcome by the girl, who needed to remember that everything hadn't collapsed, that the sun was still there, that there was still a city and its people to protect. 

The wall on the other side was covered by sophisticated electronic devices that none of the Avengers understood. Anyway, for the time being, they didn't care. They were all sitting around the big table in the middle of the room. Shuri's gaze was slowly sliding from one to the other, trying to find hope in them.

Steve was sitting on a chair, his lip split, his chin resting on his hands.Natasha was standing behind him, leaning against the wall, arms folded, looking down at the floor. She had a gaping wound on her forehead that let out a stream of blood. But, lost in thought, she didn't pay any attention to it.Colonel James Rhodes had sat across from Steve, his back straight, tense, with a big bump on his head. Bruce, meanwhile, was next to Steve, his arms folded on the table, his cheek bruised. Finally, Thor was sitting at the end of the table, his head in his hands. At his feet was Rocket, sitting cross-legged, back facing the others. The picture was a painful sight. Both physically and morally, the Avengers seemed broken.

The princess felt a relief as she saw M'Baku enter the room after the Avengers. She knew that, despite the disagreements between their tribe, she could count on him to help her. Then, in a short statement, he told her that they were the only ones. All the other tribe leaders had disappeared. And Shuri felt a heavy weight on her shoulders.

Okoye and M'Baku were still very shocked. They weren't used to this kind of fight. Yet they had managed to keep up with the Avengers. And they had just seen half their people reduced to ashes. It was hard for them to look the Avengers in the eye. They framed their princess standing at the head of the table, watching the heroes. Everyone was waiting for someone to speak up.

Steve felt unable to move. He thought maybe he should speak up, get the troops motivated to go back into battle. But he didn't know what to say. No one dared to look at each other. So many of them were missing. The Captain couldn't stop thinking about Tony, still missing, after he had chased the Thanos followers into space. What was the chance that he was still alive? He might even have been the first victim of this conflict. And despite the arguments he had recently had with the man, he felt his heart pinch at the thought.

He didn't consider himself as the leader of the Avengers. The Avengers didn't need one. Their instincts, built on their experience and trust in each other, were enough for them. Although Stark had to be disciplined from time to time, the engineer was usually able to stay serious during battles. So how could he ask them to go back into battle? He knew his friends would follow him because they wouldn't want to leave him alone. But how could he consciously ask them to go back to that hell? What if those who remained disappeared too? What if he was left alone? He wouldn't be able to bear it. If any of his friends died in battle, it would be his fault. And for the first time in his life, Captain America felt helpless.

Unable to wait any longer to find out what had happened to his family, and wanting to break the growing silence, Shuri finally asked the question, taking Steve out of his thoughts:

“So what's going on? What happened?”

As no one seemed to be able to talk to her, struggling to make the simple gesture of opening their lips to formulate the horrible truth, Steve forced himself to clear his throat to answer:

"It's Thanos. He managed to collect all the Infinity Stones. He wiped out half the population of the galaxy in an instant.”

Shuri's breath was taken away. It was the entire universe that had just been slammed by Thanos. On every planet in the galaxy, families were crying for their loved ones. And it was partly because of her.

"I'm sorry. If I'd worked faster, Thanos would never have gotten the last stone.”

The Avengers didn't dare answer, biting their lips. If they confessed what they'd been thinking all along, they'd crack. Because they didn't think the Princess was guilty. It was their fault.

"No Shuri, it's not your fault," replied Dr. Banner, sadly bowing his head to the princess.”

That girl was too young, too young to think that! There were already enough people blaming themselves, so that what had happened weighed on a child's shoulders. What had they done? What had they been thinking about when they gave Shuri such a big role? What happened to the Avengers who were supposed to look after everyone? How could they let a young girl develop such a sense of guilt? Dr. Banner clenched his fists, praying that one day they would be able to make up to the Princess. But the priority was to help her.

“Thanos already had five stones and was almost invincible. Even though we managed to destroy the Vision Stone, he could easily go back in time to get it back.”

“So our defeat was inevitable?” Asked M'Baku strongly. 

“No. Not if I aimed for his head” Thor growled, not moving from his position. 

"Thor" said Rocket softly.

Thor just groaned. Rocket took the liberty of leaning against the God's leg to comfort him. The friendship between the two of them was strange but seemed natural. No one said a word for a moment, lost in bad memories, thinking about what they could have done to win.

“We'd never have won,” muttered M'Baku. “He already had the stones. Then why did he have them? Why did you make us fight?”

“What?” asked Steve. “Would you have let him snap his fingers without a fight?”

“I would have tried to stop my army from being wiped out!”

“Even if they hadn't died in battle, a lot of them would have disappeared sooner or later!”

“Maybe they would have! But this way I could have saved more.”

“You would have ignored the rest of the universe? Would you have missed your chance to save them? “

“Who do you think I am, Rogers?” asked the African leader, clenching his fists. “You come to us and ask us to sacrifice our lives and our country in a fight that's already lost? Have you thought about the survivors of Wakanda? What will they do now in this half destroyed country? Because the Avengers have decided that everyone must be prepared to give their lives? We are ordinary people! We weren't ready to fight against aliens! You should never have come!”

That last sentence had been shouted out. M'Baku's sadness did not calm down and eventually overflowed. He could no longer manage the pain that the situation was causing him. In the end, he knew that he was responsible for the deaths of his men. The sorrow just kept growing inside him, and gradually turned into anger. First at himself and then at the whole world: this situation was unfair. Anger took over from sadness, and it was sadness that expressed itself. His flaming eyes stared at Captain America. The hero lowered his head, his throat tied. Natasha understood what her friend was thinking and put her hand on his shoulder, looking sadly at the African leader.

“No one is ever ready to fight,” she said in a trembling voice. “But we had to come here. It was a risk we had to take. Unfortunately it turned out to be a disaster for the country. We're sorry about that.”

But M'Baku could not hear that apology. Not now. He turned to Shuri.

“I don't know what you're planning to do, Princess, but I will no longer obey an order from this man. And you also need to think about who will rule your kingdom, and if possible, someone who won't lead it to ruin!”

“Someone like you,” Shuri replied coldly, turning to him. 

“It doesn't matter,” M'Baku exploded. “Someone who will be able to rebuild the country and I don't think you have the shoulders for it, knowing that it was your brother's decision to help the Avengers that led us to this disaster!”

“Don't talk about my brother like that,” the girl replied sharply. “Respect his memory!”

“I'll speak as I please! I don't take orders from anyone!”

And with these words, he walked out of the room, leaving the others clueless, wondering about their past or future choices. The princess felt left out. How could she hope to have the trust of her people after what had happened? M'baku was the one who could have given her the best advice. And he had left her in the midst of strangers.

Rhodes sighed deeply. As a colonel in the United States army, he could understand M'Baku's accusations but also knew that there was no real culprit. These were the laws of war. However, when he saw Shuri's trembling lips, he felt obliged to reassure her.

“No one is to blame, Princess, neither you nor us. But M'Baku is shocked! Give him some time. I know you'll make a fine leader.”

A murmur of approval ran through the room. Shuri looked at the people in front of her with tears in her eyes. She too understood M'Baku. Her anger was justified. She herself would not deny that she had, for a while, wanted to blame the Avengers for everything that had happened. But in that moment, she only saw them for what they really were. Ordinary people who had lost their homes. The only thing they were holding on to was their group. And they'd just failed. They had nothing left. She swallowed her tears and thanked them with a silent nod.

“Princess, we'll do everything we can to help Wakanda,” Bruce said in a firm voice.

“Very well,” The princess sighed. “Please know, Avengers, I don't hold you in any way responsible for what happened. You're always welcome in my home. The one who killed my subjects was that Thanos and no one else. And I believe in you to kick his ass.”

The Avengers kept their heads down. Shuri pretended not to notice. She counted on them to pull themselves together.

“Well…” she said as she sat down. “We must start by planning the future of my people and then the survival of the whole world.”

“You can count on us,” nodded the other Avengers. 

“Princess Shuri,” Thor suddenly said, raising his head, “may I abuse your hospitality by asking permission to use your technology? I wish to contact my people... well, those who remain... to ask them to join me here.”

“Of course Thor, they too will be welcome,” exclaimed the princess, confused by the sad gaze of the God. "You will find all the necessary equipment in this room."

“Thank you.” Having obtained what he wanted, the God let his head fall into his hands again.

Shuri sighed. Rebuilding physical things, buildings, bodies, landscapes, erasing the visible traces of the battle, it was going to be easy and wouldn't last long with their technological advances. However, the invisible traces, the moral wounds, the traumas... Who knows how long it will take to heal? 

“We need all the help we can get.” She turned back to Okoye. “Were you able to reach Nakia?”

“I'm sorry princess, but her communication device was ringing in the void. And we know what that means.”

Shuri felt his heart fall out. She had to remember she wasn't alone. Not really.

To be continued ...


	2. Those who remain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clint and Scott join the others and Steve faces the consequences of his choices.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! How are you?
> 
> Many thanks to those who enjoyed the first chapter!
> 
> In my original language, I had planned to update this fanfiction every week. I confess I didn't keep up. Writing character psychology is harder than I thought. I hope I don't stray too far from the movies. Feel free to tell me what you think!
> 
> Enjoy reading!

After the battle, Shuri had taken matters into her own hands successfully. Despite her fears, she had managed to gather everyone around her to organize the rescue. She ordered the wounded to be repatriated to the hospital in the tower, where she and Dr. Banner had been working tirelessly for a week. Most of the other Avengers organized searches for missing soldiers, counted casualties, took care of supplies and restored the destroyed buildings. All this work kept them from thinking too much about what might happen next. Civilians who had not been wounded wandered around the city in dazed silence, not knowing what to do, helping as best they could with the repairs.

The day after the battle, Steve was interrupted in his activities by Rhodes who showed him a video on his cell phone. There was a red van parked in front of the headquarters and a man getting out. Another small figure was waiting in the back. The man waved loudly to the camera.

"Hey! Ho! Hello, is anyone there? It's Scott Lang! We met last year... at the airport... in Germany... I'm the guy who got super tall! I was wearing a mask, you don't know my face. It's me, Ant man!"

"I think you know him," Rhodes told Steve.

"How long ago was that?"

"He's still at the door."

"Is there any way I can talk to him?"

Rhodes pushed a button and handed him his phone.

"Scott?"

"Captain? Is that you? Are you there?"

"I'm in Wakanda."

"Ah." Scott looked desperate. "Do you know what's going on here? I stopped by my daughter's house, and her mother just disappeared! Like, she was standing in front of us and then suddenly she was gone! Same with Hope and her parents! I can't find them!"

"I'm sorry, Scott. They've been erased."

"What the hell does that mean? What's happened?"

Steve, tired, sighed. He explained everything. Scott remained perfectly silent, attentive. At the end of the story, he begged him.

"Please, let me join you with Cassie! I want to help you defeat this mad alien and find everyone who's gone missing!"

Steve immediately agreed, but he couldn't tell Scott that the battle against the Titan was at deadlock for the moment. He allowed Ant man and his daughter, who were waiting in the car, to enter the HQ while they came to pick them up. Then he left his post and headed towards the hospital with the intention of asking the princess for permission to borrow a jet to pick up his friend. There he met Natasha. They looked at each other, embarrassed because they were not expecting to meet. But they only had to meet each other's gaze to understand that they were there for the same thing.

"Were you able to call Clint?"

"Yes. Laura and the kids all disappeared right in front of him. He's on his way to meet us."

The soldier nodded his head and sighed.

"Same for Scott. His girlfriend's been erased, but he still has his daughter. He's with her at our headquarters."

"Okay. Go ask Shuri for a jet while I call Clint to ask if he can meet Scott to pick them up at the same time."

Steve nodded and entered the hospital while Natasha walked away with her phone in her hand, dialing her best friend's number.

At the hospital, Steve was struck by the sound of the place. He's a soldier, he's used to war hospitals. He knows the groans of the wounded, the encouraging murmurs of their families, the uncontrollable cries of shocked civilians, the dazed and worried looks of every patient and the barking orders from the doctors who were running around. But not here. Here the silence was broken only by the sound of the machines.

While the consequences of war had not changed in 70 years, Steve still felt confused by the new technologies that were healing soldiers. It had been decided that all the wounded would be gathered together in one large room so that doctors could move faster from patient to patient. Those who had received first aid and did not need constant supervision were then redirected to a room. But despite the hundreds of people gathered, there was an agonizing silence. The soldiers seemed to have become wax statues, patiently waiting their turn without opening their mouths. Because they knew that nothing could soothe them after what they had experienced. They understood that there was no point in complaining. Because they feel that others are more hurt than they are. Because they were just one injured person among thousands. Because the pain goes so far beyond the body that it can no longer express itself. 

The doctors would rush here and there between the beds. Bruce had taken the time to wash and change his clothes for hygiene issues before starting work. He wore a simple black suit and was given a small machine that he held in the palm of his hand. He understood how it worked and quickly scanned the injured. He was able to read the information the machine gave him and Steve was in awe of how easy it was for him to use the Wakanda technology, which was much more advanced than the one he usually used with Tony. Between two patients, Bruce looked up and saw his friend. He glanced at him worriedly and seemed to analyze him with his eyes, scanning his body from top to bottom. After quickly concluding that Steve wasn't hurt, he relaxed, nodded to greet his friend and went back to work.

Steve felt uncomfortable. He didn't want to interfere with the doctors' work. He wasn't hurt and he didn't have to be there. He had to hurry up and get what he came for. He walked quickly to the back of the room where he had noticed the silhouette of the princess. She was kneeling next to an injured man, holding his hand. Steve stopped and felt a shiver run down his spine as he noticed that he was missing his entire right leg. He buried his guilt in a corner of his head to focus on Shuri's attitude.

The girl didn't speak and just shook hands with this man she didn't know and who was looking at her. Nothing in his behaviour seemed to show that he was suffering. But Steve could read the pain in his eyes. The man was focused on the Princess, who, with a simple touch of his hand, seemed to soothe him. Finally, she slowly rested his hand and stood up. She put a small smile on her face that was returned to her by the man on the ground. Then Shuri moved towards a new wounded man. You could see that she was hurrying to heal as many people as possible, but at the same time, she was taking time for each one of them. And Steve thought she would make a great queen.

Shuri knelt down again in front of a young man with a large bandage over his stomach. She put a comforting hand on his shoulder before scanning him.

"That's much better," she said softly with a small, relieved smile.

The young man's lips also stretched slightly, confirming that the girl had easily managed to get into everyone's heart. He seemed embarrassed, as if he was blaming himself for taking up her precious time, as if he felt guilty about being hurt, which made Steve want to puke.

"I'll have you transferred to a room. You need to get some rest."

The young man nodded his head and closed his eyes. Shuri sighed tiredly and slowly got up again before she noticed Captain America, who never took his eyes off her.

"Captain? What can I do for you? Are you all right?"

"... No. I'm sorry to bother you. I, uh... We've received some news of two Avengers who couldn't be there during the battle. I wanted your permission to borrow a jet to pick them up."

"Of course Captain, you don't need to ask, just do as you please," Shuri replied with a wave of her hand. "Okoye will give you everything you need."

"Thank you," bowed Steve.

"How are the repairs going?" asked Shuri.

"Very well, Princess. We'll be finished soon."

"Perfect," said the girl who was beginning to turn away to return to the wounded. Finally, she turned back to the Captain again. "You should take a shower and clean your wounds."

Then she left, and Steve's heart pounded again at the girl's courage. He turned around quickly, eager to leave this place as soon as possible. Yes, he was used to war hospitals, but this was the first time the battle was the result of his decision. He felt that every wound he saw was his responsibility. He didn't deserve to have his cuts taken care of. They were only a reminder of the consequences of his choices. And he had to take responsibility for all the blood that was being shed.

As Steve walked by, he noticed the silhouette of M'Baku, crouching next to one of his men who seemed to be in his early 20s. He didn't take his eyes off him and slowly stroked his hair. Steve quickly noticed that the young man's chest was no longer lifting. He was dead. The African chief's eyes met those of the American hero. The latter felt as if he was being punched.The sorrow that could be read in his eyes just moments ago had quickly turned to anger.The sorrow that could be read in his eyes just moments ago had quickly turned to anger. Steve turned away and walked the last few yards to the exit.

He leaned against a wall to take a deep breath. He felt as if he had just escaped from a horrible world where he had been a prisoner for hours. In fact, he had been in the hospital for no more than three minutes. He had seen dead people before. He had already killed. But this was a useless massacre. No wonder M'Baku hated him. He hated himself. He had lost his title of hero. He was afraid. He was pathetic.

And that's how Natasha found him a few minutes later. She made no comment, understanding what he was thinking.

"Clint will be with Scott in two hours."

"Perfect." Steve straightened up. "With the jet, we'll be there in three."

ooOoOoOoo

The other Avengers had heard about the arrival of their two friends, but neither of them had come to greet them, and the two heroes were grateful. They were indeed not looking good, dirty, with their messy hair, pale skin and swollen, red eyes. Of course, all their friends were in the same condition, since none of them had taken the time to wash or change their clothes. But no one wanted to show their degradation or see the degradation of others. Even Scott, who was trying to look good for his daughter, had trouble hiding his emotions. He held his child against him, and couldn't let her go. Cassie was staring, her body trembling, unable to understand what was happening.

The ride to Wakanda had been silent. Once in the United States, Natasha had hugged Clint and Steve had squeezed Scott's shoulder, all without saying a word. Cassie, with her hand in her father's, didn't even raise her head. The heroes could barely look each other in the eye afraid to read their own despair. The only words exchanged were "let's go," whispered by Captain America as he pointed to the jet with a nod.

Once they arrived, Steve and Natasha took their friends to the rooms Okoye had assigned to them. Okoye ensured that the Princess's orders were carried out while the Princess was busy in the hospital. After they settled in, Clint and Scott, still accompanied by his quiet daughter, helped rebuild the country, thinking that the sooner this was done, the sooner they could get ready to fight Thanos. But deep down, they knew they would never be ready. So they kept working not to think about it.

The Avengers were split into groups: Natasha, Clint and Scott took care of the food supply, while Steve, Thor and Rocket cleared the debris and rebuilt the buildings. The raccoon held a gravity eraser close to him. The device allowed him to move a ton of material at the same time. The animal made it a point of honor to throw it as far as possible, sometimes with cries of rage, to relieve itself. Several civilians glanced at it in amazement but said nothing. Rocket didn't care. He was used to it. It was reassuring to see that some things hadn't changed. But if he had had a choice, that's not what he would have wanted to keep. Shuri, Bruce and M'Baku stayed in the hospital because M'Baku wouldn't leave his men's side. All the wounded had been repatriated, and Okoye was busy counting the dead.

Rhodey, too, was with Okoye in the room where she was trying to run the country. He was on the phone all the time trying to get information about the rest of the world. It was with great difficulty that governments did not let countries fall into anarchy. Stores were being looted. Food would soon run out and there was not enough labour to do the harvesting. People were content to live moping in their misery. News from the world outside did not improve the mood of the Avengers. Governments had published a report to everyone on the planet explaining what had happened, that a purple giant had snapped his fingers and randomly killed half of the universe. They had also publicly stated that the Avengers had been unable to stop him. And everyone had given up hope.

And then, at the end of the sixth day, there was nothing left for Wakanda to do. The inhabitants had food supplies, all the soldiers had been found, the dead had been buried, the wounded were mostly treated and the buildings had already been repaired with the help of the country's technology. That's when the Avengers began to panic. What to do now? They had failed in their most important mission: to save the Earth. When it turned out they were no longer needed, they didn't know what to do.

They had a hard time staying together. It reminded them of those they had lost. When they crossed paths, they were just polite and then they would walk away as quickly as possible. The shadows of the vanished Avengers and half the universe stood between them. So they made their way like robots to their rooms. Before they disappeared, Steve advised them to take a shower and rest. But as soon as his friends were gone, he had to force himself to do what he said.

He undressed slowly, his muscles aching. He entered the shower and started to run the water. The drops took with them the blood that still stained his skin. His cuts stung slightly on contact with the liquid. He thought he was lucky to still be able to feel his body. He washed quickly, dried himself off and got dressed before moving slowly towards his bed. He was exhausted. He had barely slept in the last few days. But as soon as he went to bed, he knew he would not be able to fall asleep.

Lying in bed, he couldn't stop his brain from rambling. He had just lost Bucky, his best friend during the 1940s, the only thing he had left from his life before. He had also lost Sam, his best friend of this century. So his future looked quite dark. When he closed his eyes, he kept seeing Bucky disappear in front of him over and over again. The symbol of America refused to give up, as long as he was alive, he would fight to reverse what Thanos had done. But for the moment he didn't know how. He must not give up, or else the loss of his friends would have been for nothing. Annoyed, he got up and walked out of his room.

None of the Avengers could sleep. After showering, their minds couldn't help but think about the dead. And the pain was sharp for everyone, especially Clint, who had lost his children and was moping in his despair. Everyone was desperate for something to do to avoid thinking. Locked in his room, Clint was painting... Scott, on the other hand, read stories to his daughter, who was always mute. Natasha made the gym her domain and kept hitting a punching bag and training for the possible fight ahead. Rhodes was glued to his phone, trying to reach as many people as possible. Bruce never left the hospital.

And Thor, for his part, never left the radio room from which he sent messages to contact his people. So far no one had responded. Empty beer bottles were piling up around him. The God had gotten into the habit of drowning his sorrow in alcohol, and now he had plenty to forget. However, the King of Asgard did not lose hope of finding his own and kept sending a transmission almost every hour.

Rocket never left his friend. They seemed to understand each other without talking. They were both from another planet and had lost family and friends. Moreover, even though he was used to looks, Rocket was fed up with everyone who crossed his path and couldn't stop staring at him with big, astonished eyes. With Thor, Rocket felt as if he was returning to some semblance of normalcy. The two of them didn't talk to each other, they just looked at computers. But the presence of the other one soothed them. It was a presence that was neither usual nor unknown, so the other couldn't bring up bad memories. And that way, Rocket felt less alone on this alien planet.

Although far away from each other, the Avengers could feel the presence of their comrades around them. Thanks to this they knew they were not alone, but they were not ready to face the sadness of their friends and they gave themselves time to heal their wounds on their own for later, perhaps, better regrouping.

Finally Captain America could not stay in his room. He sat in a hospital hallway all night watching the doctors work, feeling useless, not knowing what to do. His footsteps had naturally led him here, without thinking. He wanted to fight Thanos as quickly as possible to get rid of the guilt that was crushing his stomach. But he had just seen the bitter realization of the fragility of the Avengers' minds and was looking for a way to motivate them again.

He hated feeling helpless. It brought up too many bad memories from a long time ago. Long before he received the serum. When he tried to stand up to stupid bullies whose favorite pastime was martyring people weaker than themselves. And Steve had been weak. He had been unable to protect others. No matter how many times he tried to stop them, once he'd been beaten up, the bullies went back to their first victim. And so finally, he got beaten up for nothing. He felt useless. The same thing happened when he wanted to join the army. He hated his weak body. But at that time, there was nothing he could do about it.

Until he was given a chance. Steve still wasn't sure why Dr. Erskine had chosen him. But every time he thought of the last discussion he'd had with him, the day before he'd received the serum, he could feel his heart warming up. He always made sure to respect the doctor's last wish: to be himself. No need to be perfect, just do what he thought was right.

From that day on, his life was a succession of battles. He didn't complain if it would make the world a better place. And he never lost. At least not really. He had lost Bucky and was even dead. But at least he had won the war. Even after the battle with Tony, he'd lost a lot, but he'd won his freedom to act. And yes, he was sad to lose a friend, but even with their disagreement he knew they would always be teammates. Winning wasn't always easy but it was logical, natural. So he couldn't believe that they had lost to Thanos. Not again.

Having finished treating everyone he could, Dr. Banner left the hospital on the morning of the seventh day and noticed his friend right away. He came to sit beside him without asking any questions. Both remained silent.

"How are they?"

"We have healed all those who could be healed. Most of them are getting better, thanks to the Princess. But there are still many patients whose survival no longer depends on us. And that affects Shuri a lot" the doctor sadly replies.

Steve sighed.

"What a waste! We didn't even manage to save Vision. It was all for nothing!"

"At least we tried!"

The Captain looked at his friend.

"Tell me the truth.Should we have let Wanda destroy the Mind stone?"

"It wouldn't have made any difference. I remind you that Thanos had the Time Stone. And if we hadn't fought him, we would have blamed ourselves."

Steve closed his eyes. His friend was right. They had done their best.

"I think we had to lose."

Steve opened his eyes again and looked at his friend, shocked by what he'd just said. The doctor sighed.

"Don't look at me like that. I'm not saying it's a good thing. But in my opinion, there was no other way. We had to lose a battle to win the war."

"Except this battle cost us half the universe!"

"We'll get them back," replied the doctor firmly.

"Not when most of our fighters are avoiding each other!"

"It's up to you to motivate them!"

Steve had a little chuckle. Easy for him to say! After a comfortable moment of silence between the two friends, enjoying being reunited again after more than a year of separation, Steve slowly got up, his body feeling heavy after being on the floor all night. Then he helped his friend to do the same and kept his hand in his own, looking him straight in the eye.

"So let's do it."

They began to walk with a firm step.

"I missed you, Bruce!" Said Steve, suddenly in a better mood. "I can't wait for you to tell us about your adventures during your year off!"

Bruce laughed softly but stopped when he saw Captain America's almost sadistic smile.

"But first, you should go and see Nat! What she has in store for you should be enough to punish you for running away from Sokovie."

Bruce glanced at him in panic. Steve looked pensively across the hallway.

"We need to reconnect with each other. Even if we have to do it one by one."

To be continued ...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> I love fanfiction so much! It's a really fascinating exercise that allows us to see our favourite works from new angles! When I find that a film doesn't deal enough with the relationship between two characters (Peter and Tony for example), I know I'll find fanfictions to ease my frustration. And I'm happy to be able to share what I feel, especially after End Game. I hope you'll like my version of the movie.
> 
> In the next chapter, Clint and Scott are having a hard time dealing with what happened to their family...


	3. Being a father

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rodhes and Steve make peace. Clint reveals himself to Nathacha. Scott open up to the Captain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! 
> 
> Excuse me for the length of this chapter but I really couldn't see where to cut it since the two main conversations have the same subject. I also took a lot of liberties in the characters' psychology. I hope it still makes sense in the movies though. Feel free to tell me what you think. 
> 
> Enjoy reading !

Their footsteps echoed through the empty hallway. Bruce and Steve were heading towards the Avengers' rooms, located opposite the hospital. Bruce seemed a little anxious about finding Natasha and Steve was preparing a speech in his head for the other Avengers.

Peggy had told him that he was good at motivating hopeless soldiers. But if he could motivate fighters to confront technologically advanced Nazis, he wasn't sure he could convince anyone to fight an alien with divine powers. If he could keep them from risking their lives, he would go on his own. He considered them his family and he couldn't afford to lose them. But they also had a moral duty to all those who were lost and to the rest of the world. It is together that they can fight everything, troubles with their hearts, troubles with their minds and troubles with their bodies. Whether they are problems caused between friends or because of enemies. Together they could all win.

A new sound of footsteps brought Steve out of his thoughts. Seeing them, Rhodey walked towards them with a dynamic pace. In his hand was still his mobile phone. He greeted his friends who had stopped to wait for him.

"Bruce" greeted the colonel before turning to the captain. "Steve, I wanted to talk to you."

"All right," Bruce whispered. "I'll leave you to it." He looked at Steve with understanding. "I'm going to see Natasha."

"I'll see you later," nodded the Captain. After the scientist left, he turned to the colonel. "What's going on?"

"I managed to get Pepper on the phone."

"Thank God," replied the soldier with a sigh of relief. "Is she all right? Has she heard from Tony?"

At that moment the captain realised with shame that not once had he thought of the Avengers' family. After all, to him, these friends were his only family, and since the survivors were close to him, he didn't need to think about anything else.

An image of Sharon formed in his mind but he took it out of his head. For the moment he shouldn't let himself be distracted. And yet a touch of anxiety crossed his heart. He hadn't heard from her and wasn't sure he wanted to, because he wouldn't know what he would do if she was gone.

In any case, he didn't know much about his friends' families. But this was not the case for Peper. It could even be said that the young woman was also one of the Avengers, as she lived with them very often, first in the tower and then at the HQ. She was truly an incredible woman, worthy of being loved. In fact, all the Avengers liked her. Steve shivered as he thought of what the woman might have thought when she saw her fiancé disappear into space. And he was really worried about her.

"She is doing as well as possible given the circumstances. She always tries to put on a good face. And no. No news of Tony," Rhodey replied in a trembling voice.

Steve felt his throat tighten. He tried to answer calmly. "Well that doesn't mean anything. Maybe he's just stuck on another planet."

"Ha? And how is it reassuring that he's all alone in the deepest part of the universe?" War Machine asked in a humorous way.

"Don't worry! You know Tony! If anyone can cross space and come back, it's him! We're talking about the smartest man in the world and I know he'll do anything to get home."

"Yes, you're right, I'm sorry." 

"That's all right."

It was true. He understood very well how Rhodes could feel. He himself remembered how he felt when he didn't know if Bucky had died during the war. Not knowing is one of the worst things. Not knowing whether to cry. Not knowing what to do. Feeling helpless. Being constantly on edge, hearing implied messages everywhere, even where there aren't any. Steve's concern for Tony must have been nothing compared to Rhodes'. And the captain didn't know what to do to reassure him.

The two friends looked at each other, thinking for a moment about their past disagreements. But the uneasiness quickly dissipated as their friendship grew stronger and Steve felt his body relax.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Pepper's coming here. It's not safe out here. Some... Some people blame the Avengers for what happened. And the relationship between Tony and Pepper is known. I'm afraid someone's gonna go after her. She agreed to come on the condition that she can be at the centre of the whole strategy of the fights ahead."

"It's obvious to me," Steve whispered, promising to protect his friend's fiancée. "When is she coming?"

"In a few hours. Okoye has already assigned her a room."

"That's fine. We'll be there to welcome her."

"Great, thanks."

They began to head towards the gymnasium. Yes, Rhodes and Steve could call themselves friends, but they were not extremely close. However, their affection was sincere. The soldier's eyes couldn't help but look down at the colonel's legs. His throat slightly tightened. He knew it wasn't entirely his fault, but still...

"How are you Rhodey? We haven't had much time to talk since..."

"I'm fine thanks. And you look better than you did a few days ago." 

"The benefits of a shower."

They laughed and it made them feel better.

"I'm sorry about Bucky," Rhodey said suddenly after a brief hesitation.

The sentence surprised Steve a little but he immediately understood what it meant. A proposal for reconciliation that he was more than eager to accept.

"We're going to bring him back. We're going to bring them all back. And Tony too."

"Yeah. Uh... Look, man, I would defend Bucky against Tony because I know that what happened wasn't his fault. However, I will never ask him to forgive you. Because I still think you did shit."

" I know. I get it. Leaving Tony in Siberia was my worst mistake. I completely failed to keep our team together. I'm sorry. And sorry about your legs."

"It's OK. It wasn't your fault. I got used to it."

There was a little moment of silence. The sound of their footsteps had synchronised.

"Do you think we're going to find Bruce alive?"

ooOoOoOoo

Natasha was torturing a sandbag when she caught a glimpse of someone in the doorway of the gymnasium from the corner of her eye. She raised her head to recognize Clint, with a pale face and red eyes. She stopped knocking, short of breath. They stood still for a moment, not knowing what to do. Only the spy's panting breath could be heard in the large empty room. Neither of them moved, observing each other. Natasha had immediately understood what her friend was doing here. Eventually she walked towards him and took him in her arms, where the archer burst into tears. 

Natasha remembered the moment when she finally managed to reach her friend on the phone. She had called him several times before he answered and she had started to imagine the worst. And when he finally picked up, she realised that her friend was not the same person anymore. His voice was cold, assured, without trembling, when he told her that his whole family had disappeared. And when she had seen him at the HQ, his face was closed, his lips tight. Only his red eyes showed his hidden emotions.

But those eyes weren't red from crying. They were red from holding back his tears. Because Clint hated crying and showing his feelings. Even after being checked by Loki, he had hidden his trauma from his friend. All because of the anger he felt against the god of malice. As far as she could remember, it was the first time the spy had seen the archer in this state. By covering them up, his emotions had just exploded. And the young woman didn't know what to do to calm her friend down. So she was simply holding him in her arms, listening to him sobbing in respectful silence. 

After a while, Clint had a small laugh between hiccups.

"Sorry Nat. I couldn't be alone any longer." 

"That's understandable," she said softly.

"I never thought I'd miss the children's cries so much," the man whispered, pushing his face into his friend's shoulder.

"Don't worry" Natasha replied, stroking his hair. "We'll bring them back. We'll bring them all back."

Clint shook his head and answered with a painful moan:"Don't give me hope."

The spy was shocked. She realised that her friend had sunk deeper than she had been willing to believe. Or to be exact, she hadn't wanted to see it. Knowing that a friend is suffering and not being able to do anything about it is a terrible thing. It is always easier to focus on your own pain than on others'. We should not compare pain, each person has different ways of reacting to the same event. And after the Snap it was obvious that everyone was in pain. But unlike Natasha, who was in a familiar place and surrounded by familiar people, Clint had nothing left to hold on to. And this lasted long enough. It was time to stop thinking about her and play her role as a friend. She tightened her grip on him.

"I should have given you some sooner."

"I don't deserve it. The pain of their loss is my punishment."

The spy sighed. She knew the feeling. It was easier to bask in despair than to try to fix it with the risk of failure. To fail again would be worse than anything else. To put all our efforts into a well-prepared fight and still lose would be fatal. Your own helplessness is something frightening. But if Natasha had learned anything from her years at SHIELD it was that even when a fight seemed lost, there was always the possibility of one last twist that would change everything. But only if you never give up and fight to the end. And she had to remind Hawkeye of that.

However, it is true that in their entire career as Avengers they had never experienced such a defeat. And superheroes were sometimes a little too human. Taking back the role of defender of the Earth wasn't going to be easy. Especially when now it was the whole universe that needed them. Natasha was ashamed of herself when she admitted that she had been hiding in that gym, giving herself an excuse to run away from the role that was now too heavy on her shoulders. She had forgotten that she wasn't alone in this. And a hero should start by saving the people he loves.

"Don't say that. Everyone deserves hope. And you don't have to punish yourself for something you didn't know. We couldn't contact you to warn you of Thanos' arrival."

Clint gave an angry grunt. 

"That's not what I'm talking about! You don't know everything about me, about what kind of parent I am!"

He shivered and then broke away from his friend with a frustrated sigh. Natasha looked at him completely forbidden. She didn't understand what he meant by that. She had met Clint some time before he met Laura and she had only ever known him as a man in love. In fact, she was the one who had pointed out to her friend his inclination for this new agent in the logistics department. This was not difficult to notice (except for the two of them) as he kept talking about her (which became very annoying). After several months, she had almost begged him to ask the young woman out. The spy was happy to do so because it enabled her a few months later to become the godmother of an adorable little girl, before two other boys followed.

They seemed to be a perfectly happy family. Natasha had watched it grow tenderly. Clint was a loving father who protected his family. So she didn't see what Clint was doing to himself. As she opened her mouth to ask for more information, Clint cut her off.

"You know what I did when Laura told me she was pregnant? You can't know because you were undercover at that time. Well I'll tell you. I ran like a coward. I took the first mission I was offered to get away. I didn't want to be a father. What reasonable spy would start a family with the permanent idea that they might be targeted by enemies? I begged Laura not to keep it, but when she told me she had made up her mind, I left her!" 

Natasha opened her mouth but no sound came out. She had turned pale as she understood what was disturbing the archer. She felt a little offended that her best friend had not shared his fears with her at that time. She remembers that she had indeed been on a long mission and didn't find out about the pregnancy until she returned home as Laura was close to her due date. But she also remembered that it was Clint who had told her by message, ending it by asking her to look after his wife during the labour. This meant that, despite all his reluctance, he cared about his wife's choice. 

"I wasn't even there on the day of the birth," Clint continued in a broken voice. "I could have easily abandoned the mission to return to her but... I was afraid. Lila was already three months old when I first saw her."

Natacha was there. She remembered the tenderness and worry in her friend's eyes when he took his baby. But she was not aware of any other thoughts he may have had at that time.

"She was so small and vulnerable. I knew then that I would want to protect her with my life. It's strange the effects that children have on you. You love them so much despite the weight they put on your shoulders. Because that's what I told myself that day. The little one was a weight that would push me back, that would imprison me for life in perpetual fear that some bad guy might find her."

He looked at Natasha, praying that she would understand him.

"You know that the first thing we are taught to do to become a spy is to disregard all feelings, to blend in with our character, to forget everything we know about our real life, but this is impossible when we have a family. You can't stop thinking about them. Because everything you do, you do it for them. And you can't help but fear their judgment. What would they say if they knew what you are doing to stay undercover? That's why, many times, during certain missions I... I've thought many times that everything would be easier if they didn't exist."

The archer put a hand in front of his mouth, muffling a new sob.

"I have failed. I have failed as a father and as a spy. I don't know how many times I have been distracted during a mission because I was thinking about them. And I don't even count all the time I missed with them, all the missed birthdays and Christmases. But they didn't hold it against me, whereas I thought... I'm tired when I come back from the mission and... The kids were just happy to see me again but I... I was irritated by the noise they made and... I kept telling myself over and over again that it would be easier if they didn't exist."

Natasha slowly approached him in an uncertain attempt to take him in her arms but he backed away. He needed to finish, she needed to understand his faults.

"But when it was quiet and Cooper smiled at me... or when Lila and I practiced archery.... I didn't need anything else. They were my world, my secret corner of paradise. I would forget all my anxieties and hesitations, before they would return at full speed on the next mission. I don't know why I didn't give up this job sooner. That year under house arrest was the best year of my life. Sometimes I missed the missions when I was bored or angry with them. But that was soon gone. I'm just selfish and I'm being punished for it. I didn't deserve them."

He ran his hands through his hair, pulling them, as if he hoped some physical pain would take some of the guilt away. His vision was completely blurred by the tears and his breathing was shaky.

"When it happened, I was the happiest man in the world. It was really a beautiful day, the sun was shining, it was nice. We took the opportunity to prepare a barbecue in the field. I was teaching Lila how to shoot, Cooper and Nathaniel were playing baseball while Laura was making sandwiches. The children's screams and laughter filled the air. And you know the thought that crossed my mind at that moment? I was thinking that it was preventing me from concentrating to shoot. The laughter of my children pissed me off! What father would have thought that? Then I looked at my boys and they were so cute that I pushed that thought away. We were good!"

He had calmed down. His eyes were gone. He was back by the time his family disappeared. His words were pouring out fast, describing what he was seeing and feeling, as if he wanted to fix that moment in his mind so he wouldn't forget it.

"Lila had just shot a great arrow. I told her to go and get it back. I looked away from her just for a moment to look at Laura who called us to eat. I only left my daughter for a minute but she was nowhere to be found! Suddenly there was like a gust of wind, which completely swept away the cries of the children. It was as if I had been teleported to another place. The atmosphere was different, icy, phantomatic. But I didn't notice anything. I didn't see them disappear. I just turned my head and looked around. I think it took me a whole minute for the information to reach my brain: my family was gone!"

Natasha had grabbed her friend's arms and held on to him like a lifeline. She had tears in her eyes. She didn't want to hear the rest, which was too easy to guess. But she couldn't ask him to stop. His tongue was loose and you could see that it was liberating for the archer. So Natasha let him finish.

Big tears were again running down Clint's cheeks. His stream of words continued to flow uninterruptedly. He was out of time, out of space. His hands grabbed his friend's arms, his nails digging into her flesh, but the young woman didn't care. Even if she didn't want to, she concentrated on listening to him because her friend needed it.

"I froze for a few more minutes before rushing to the table where the children had been a few moments before. The wind in the trees was so deafening without their screams. It sounded like an alarm warning me of the disaster. I couldn't understand what was happening! I ran around calling their names. But there was only the wind to answer me. And that's when I saw them dancing in the air, as if to mock me. Ashes. There were little piles of ashes in every place where a member of my family was. That's when I realised I was alone. That my family was gone. That I hadn't been able to prevent anything. And that, in a way, my wish that I had often said had been fulfilled...".

His voice broke. And he collapsed again in his friend's arms. She felt helpless in front of this rush of pain. She whispered comforting words as she caressed his back. The archer was crying.

"I knew it wouldn't be easy to protect them the whole time, but I tried. Even when the worst thoughts were going through me, I swear it was the thought that followed. Protecting them. That was my role as a father and as a hero. I failed everything. I didn't see them disappear, I had turned my head, as I always did! I kept them as far away from my work as possible so that they would be safe, but I couldn't see that I was taking them away from me! And the irony is that I wasn't where I should have been during the battle with Thanos! I'm not saying I could have changed anything but I would have tried. For their sake."

Natasha breathed, overwhelmed by her friend's pain. She thought seriously about what she should say now, to relieve him, if only a little. Because she knew that nothing she could say could fully console him.

"It's not your fault Clint. Everyone knows you didn't want this. I don't think there is a parent who hasn't thought once in their life that they shouldn't have had children. And then it's normal to want to run away. It's a frightening responsibility, especially with our profession. You've managed to protect them so far. You found them a nice place to live, your little secret garden where you were happy. You succeeded brilliantly in separating your work and family life. You've always been in front of them daddy Clint and never the Avenger."

She heard a small trembling sigh against her shoulder. She ran her fingers tenderly through his hair.

"The main thing is that you love them. I know that, I can see it. And they love you too. You're a good father, I promise you."

Clint raised his head to her, looking at her to see if she was sincere. He was slightly reassured.

"Your phone call saved me, do you know that? he said in a trembling voice. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't called me. I would have lost my mind. At first I wanted to be alone, that's why I didn't answer you. I stayed in the field, I didn't want to go home. It was too hard."

"That's what a friend is for." She squeezed him tighter. "We'll bring your family back, I promise."

"But I want them near me right now! I would do anything to hear their laughter again. I used to complain about the noise, but in the end the silence is much worse. I don't want to be alone!"

"You're not alone Clint! You never will be, we'll always be there to support you."

Clint sniffed as he hugged his friend more tightly. He was still feeling bad but he had stopped shaking. He pulled away from Natasha and whispered a faint "thank you" without looking the spy in the eye. The young woman had a sweet smile on her face.

"You know, my dear friend, you may not look at me, but I know that your eyes are all puffy. Like the time you forgot your safety goggles and we ended up in a sandstorm in the north of Abidjan".

The archer wiped his nose with a black look.

"I don't think it's funny Romanoff. And if you tell anyone about this..."

"It's not my style at all," replied Natasha, a hand on her chest with a fake offended look on her face. "Do you mistake me for Stark?"

She immediately regretted mentioning the superhero. Clint's eyes darkened even more and she herself felt her heart squeeze.

"He's coming back. We'll all be together again."

"I'm sure of it," Clint replied in a firm voice. His eyes were still red but dry and determined. "There's no more time to cry. The only tears that will be allowed to flow are tears of joy when we've got everyone back."

"Well said!" Acknowledged Natasha, whose enthusiasm put a slight smile on the archer's face.

"I'm going to go swimming in the pool, it will take my mind off things. And besides, I'm a bit rusty after this year's break. Then we'll all think together about how to get rid of this crazy titan. But we have to get serious about it."

"Good idea. I'm going to take a shower and then we'll force everyone to meet in the common room."

"Great!" says Clint, nodding to his friend. He walked to the back of the gym where there was an Olympic swimming pool. 

Natasha took off her gloves and stored them in the cupboard provided. She was used to this room. During the last year, when they wanted to rest, the Outlaw Avengers regularly went to Wakanda. The king always welcomed them with kindness, and while Steve went to see Bucky, Natasha had been brought to the army gym by Okoye, eager to take on an Avenger. 

But despite her strength, Black Widow couldn't be easily defeated. The head of the armies had quickly found herself on the carpet. Offended, she had immediately asked for revenge. She didn't stop repeating that if she lost it was because she was more used to fight with her spear than with her bare hands. The spy had the advantage of experience. She could quickly analyse an opponent and build a strategy based on his weak points to beat him. Despite her victories, she had to admit that the leader of Wakanda's armies had few weaknesses and that she gave her a hard time. And the small rivalry between the two women quickly turned into a friendship. 

Okoye had even allowed Natasha to attend the daily training of the Wakandan army. The spy was impressed by the fluidity of these women who repeated with their lances war movements completely in sync with each other, in a deadly dance. Each training session began with this collective exercise. The common scream of the soldiers touched the spy, who was used to working solo. It reminded her of her group, the Avengers, who were now separated. She will never admit it, but she missed it. In the end she had come to rely on them. But now they didn't trust each other anymore and the semblance of a family that Natasha had found in them had shattered into pieces.

After their routine, the Wakandans went to the various machines that filled the gymnasium. Most of them resembled the machines that Natasha used to train but with some technological improvements, such as the bracelet that adorned each warrior's wrist, allowing them to measure their progress. The room was big enough to accommodate all the sports machines imaginable: climbing tracks, boxing rings...  
Soldiers trained in groups of 50 throughout the day, one hour per group, so that the room was never empty. And at a time when the few remaining female warriors had neither the courage nor the strength to train, Natasha felt lonely in this room, which was unfamiliar without the life it usually occupied. Nor did she want to look out of the glass window that covered a whole section of the wall. She did not want to see the landscape.

She concentrated on what she was doing, sorting and putting away all the pairs of gloves in the cupboard when a little cough made her turn around. In the doorway, with a pale face and an anxious look on his face, was Bruce Banner.

oooOoOoOooo

Captain America and War Machine were walking down the corridor of the Avengers' accommodation, heading towards the gymnasium. They laughed as they imagined what Black Widow could do to their friend Bruce. Laughing did them good, showed them that in a way life was still going on and that nothing was lost because they were still there. Their laughters flew away in echo in the empty corridor, shaking the immobility of the place, giving it back some life. But it was only a short pause. Once again, the reality of their situation quickly came back to them when they heard a sad voice coming out of a half-open door on their right.

"Please darling, talk to me!"

The two friends stopped and looked at each other, bewildered by the pain that this voice carried.Steve had recognised Scott's voice and immediately guessed who he was talking to. He decided that Ant-Man had isolated himself and his daughter enough and that it was time to help him. Half a second later and so quickly that Rhodey didn't even have time to move, he knocked gently two times on the door and entered, followed by the colonel. 

Scott Lang was sitting on his bed with his daughter in his arms. The latter, pale skin, drooping hair, dangling arms, her head resting on her father's chest, seemed to be completely absent. She was staring at the wall without seeing him, her mouth resolutely closed. Scott was clutching her, unable to let go, as if she were his anchor, which also prevented him from sinking. He begged his daughter to react, but his voice didn't seem to reach her. It was a desperate vision that froze the two heroes in place. 

Rhodey slapped himself mentally. He knew that Ant-Man was here with his daughter, but he hadn't even tried to meet him. After all, the only time they had seen each other, they had fought. But already during the battle he had noticed the man's sympathy. He had no excuses for having left these two people alone, surrounded by Avengers, who had recently become enemies, to sink into their misfortune without ever trying to find out how they were doing.

Steve cursed himself in his head. Thanos' finger snap had traumatised everyone, but at least those who had fought him knew it was a risk. But for Scott it was a shock. He didn't know, couldn't imagine that it was likely to happen. He didn't even know about Thanos! And to see his family suddenly disappear without explanation was a very violent thing, especially for children. It's normal that Cassie was so shaken, she needed help! Steve had abandoned the father and his daughter in a foreign country, without trying to understand how badly they were hurt. He had been too focused on his own pain and hadn't paid attention to the others'. 

"Scott?"

The Ant Man raised his head, looking up at the two Avengers with big eyes, waxy skin and hollow cheeks. He was not a pretty sight, completely desperate, and ready to defend his daughter against any enemy. He paid no attention to Rhodey and looked at Steve, panicked and begging.

"She... she doesn't talk."

Steve slowly approached the couple.

"I know Scott, I know. We're going to help her, together!"

"What can we do? What can we do?"

"Scott please, calm down!"

"Calm down? Half the world is gone and my daughter is all I have left! But right now I don't recognise her, it's not her. What am I going to do if she never comes back?"

"Stop panicking! She will heal! She's still in shock. And seeing you freaking out isn't going to help her! Just breathe!"

Scott tried to listen to the Captain as he took a deep breath, his breath trembling. Steve glanced at the colonel with a distraught look in his eyes. Scott hugged his daughter, who looked like a rag doll, so tightly that Rhodey was afraid he might suffocate her. He decided to approach slowly. As Scott backed away, he raised his hands in the air.

"Don't worry Scott, I just want to help you."

The Ant Man still looked at him suspiciously and Rhodey felt uncomfortable. He gave Steve a look and he nodded encouragingly.

"Scott? You're here among friends. You have no reason to be suspicious of me. We're in the same boat. I just want to help you," whispered the colonel.

Scott looked down, not knowing what to do.

"But when it's all over, how do I know you won't become my enemy again?"

"Scott," replied Steve, "I don't think now is the time to think about that. We're all in this together and we have to accept all the help we can get. And then this challenge will unite us beyond all our contrary ideas".

"And if one day I have to fight you again, I promise to hold back my punches," Rhodey added. 

The smile provoked by this sentence allowed Wars Machine to approach. 

"Let me help you, Scott."

After a moment of silence, the thief relaxed and loosened his grip on his daughter, whom he sat on his bed. Steve put his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"You should let Rhodey take care of Cassie while you get your mind off things."

When the father hesitated and gauged the Colonel's reliability, the Colonel nodded his head with a small smile.

"You can trust me with her. I have experience with Stark."

Scott mumbled something that sounded like "when you see the result..." but finally nodded slowly. However, before following Steve out of the room, he knelt down beside his daughter.

"Honey? Daddy is leaving for a moment but I'll leave you with a friend. I'll be right back."

He shook hands with the little girl who didn't react. Resigned, he left the room after the Captain. Once outside, he filled his lungs with fresh air, the one in his room being far too saturated with negative emotions. The two men began to walk around aimlessly except to stretch their legs and clear their heads. For a moment Scott was ashamed of having let himself go in front of the heroes and tried to justify himself. With his eyes fixed on the floor, he opened up to the man.

"She's all I have left, Steve."

"I know."

"I... It... It was horrible! I wasn't really there when it happened. I was in the quantum dimension. I didn't see anything but I heard. I was in connection with Hope. She was about to bring me back when suddenly she interrupted herself in the middle of her sentence. And I thought it was a joke and I got angry! Then that's when I heard the screams. Lots of people shouting. I could hear panic and despair in their voices. I could never forget the fear I felt at that moment."

Steve nodded. He could well imagine what Scott was describing to him. He had felt the same way after the slap. He, too, had heard the screams of the panicked people and he hoped he'd never have to think about it again. But he let his friend go on because he understood that he needed to let go of everything he had kept inside him with his words. So he forced himself to listen until the end.

"I was lost. I knew nothing except that something was happening and that I was alone to get out of this quantum world. I thought of Cassie and managed to alter my costume to get out of it. And then I had a horror vision. There were three piles of ashes in the place of Hope and her parents. There was smoke everywhere, car accidents, burning buildings... And people running. I rushed to Cassie's mother's house. I found my daughter alone in the living room surrounded by two piles of ashes. She must have witnessed the erasure of her mother and stepfather..."

The Ant Man turned, trembling towards the soldier and crossed his gaze. They were the eyes of a man insane with despair. 

"You don't know what it feels like to see the flesh of your flesh suffer! There are no words to express this feeling. I'm his father, I'm supposed to spare her as much pain as possible but there... I couldn't do anything. I couldn't even comfort her. How could I do it? I didn't even know what had happened!"

"You couldn't have done better, Scott. You're there for her and that's what matters now."

"But she's missing a whole piece of her family! It was taken from her so suddenly! How can she live peacefully like this?"

"She's going to make it. We all will."

Scott cast a slightly despising glance at him, doubting the hero's words. Then he shook his head.

"You can't understand, you have no family."

Steve tried not to feel offended. Scott was a desperate father. But the accusations were unfounded. He didn't know him. He only knew the image he was projecting. The unattached hero, motivated only by justice and who was unshaken by anything. But it wasn't true. He took a deep breath and answered in a firm voice.

"There may not be anyone connected to me by blood any more, but the Avengers have everything of the definition of a family for me. And half of them have just disappeared before my eyes. So do you really think I can't understand how you feel?"

Scott sniffed. "Seeing how disunited you are from your civil war, are you really going to make me believe you're a real family?"

Steve had a small laugh. "Come on Scott, you're not going to tell me that there really are families that get along all the time! You want me to believe that brothers and sisters never fight? I admit that with us, the fight gets bigger. But in spite of that, I still love Stark like a brother. Well, maybe more like a cousin. But in any case, we know we can always count on each other. You should know this because you're divorced, yet you and your ex get along for the sake of your child."

Scott looked at him in astonishment.

"That was a cheap shot Captain."

Steve smiled faintly. "I'm sorry," he said.

"It's my turn to apologise. You're right Cap. It shows that you and the Avengers were a family, despite the circumstances. I'm an idiot."

"No, you're not." Steve put a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "It's normal to be down and confused at a time like this."

He squeezed his shoulder before dropping his hand. Scott looked at him. His eyes were still desperate, but now there was a spark of confidence in his eyes as well. Scott trusted him. For a moment Steve was afraid that he wouldn't live up to his friend's expectations. But at least he could try. Soothe his torments, give him back his confidence. Give him the same help he had received as a child.

It has always been difficult for the Captain to reveal himself. So he started walking again, looking straight ahead to avoid looking at the Ant Man who was following him.

"I've been like you Scott" whispered the Captain. "I know it's not quite the same thing, but when my parents died less than a year apart, I started insulting the whole world. There was no one I could blame for my loss, so I blamed everyone who passed by. I was so unbearable that everyone walked away from me. Except Bucky. He was my one true friend and he proved it at that moment."

His heart was heavy with grief at the loss of his best friend. The memories he had shared with the missing ones were precious. He realized that, strangely enough, talking about it brought him a wave of sweetness, as if Bucky was still there.

"I was a total idiot but he never let go of me. I yelled at him to leave me alone but he persevered. I even went so far as to hit him, just imagine. Luckily I didn't have the build to hurt him. But he let himself be hit. He understood that my outbursts of rage were only the translation of my suffering. And his presence helped me through it all."

Scoot's mouth had opened. These confessions were as surprising as they were unexpected. Who would believe that the wise Captain America could also have been subject to fits of rage? This was probably an exaggeration.

"All this to tell you," continued the captain, "that, the pain of a loss, I know. And I felt it at the same time as you did, when that bastard Thanos snapped his fingers. But it's harder for me to show my emotions. Because I've learned to keep the stature of a hero to reassure the people around me. However, it can also have the opposite effect, as you can see. I lock everything up inside and create a barrier between myself and others. People find me insensitive and I can appear contemptuous. But it is because I am too focused on hiding my problems that I no longer see others' problems. So it's normal that you might have thought that I didn't understand how you might feel. You're not an idiot to react the way you did. You reacted even better than I did. But I decided to stop hiding. After all, it's time to make superheroes more human. We've failed to save the world, so it's time to get off our pedestal."

Steve stopped and turned back to his friend. 

"So Scott, if you want me to be your Bucky, if you want to hit me or insult me to get out of your pain, or if you just want to talk to me about it, I'll be there. I don't promise to be perfect or to have good advice. I know we don't know each other very well, but you helped me when I needed it during that famous civil war, and I really like you. So I will try to be a real friend from now on. I won't let you go."

Scott had tears in his eyes again, moved by the words of the symbol of America. 

"But I'm not like you Steve" the man whispered in a trembling voice. "I don't deserve your friendship. I'm not a superhero. I'm just a selfish little thief who was lucky enough to be chosen to wear a costume. Without that I am nothing! I would be in jail right now if Hope's father hadn't found me."

"Sam told me about it indeed" replied Steve. "He told me that you ended up in jail because you realised that your bosses were overcharging their customers. So you hacked into their accounts to give the money back to the people who were tricked. It may not be very legal, but I consider it a brave act. You're a kind of modern Robin Hood. We also need people who show that the system is not perfect. That's why Sam advised me to hire you. So no matter what you've done in the past, everyone has a right to be comforted. No one deserves to suffer."

"Yeah. Considering how the bosses I applied to after I got out of prison treated me, I'd say you're one of the few people who think like that. The past can't be forgotten so easily." Grumbled Scott, recalling the many times he had been kicked out as soon as his bosses found out he'd been in prison.

"I remind you that not all Avengers are all white either," replied Steve. I'm sure you know about Natasha's past, for example. Or the playboy image that Stark has trouble erasing. It's not about what you did in the past, it's about who you are now. And I feel you're a good guy, Scott. That's why you're now officially an Avenger."

"Me? An Avenger?" Scott whispered with a small smile. 

The word sounded soft in his ear and lightened his heart. It was as if, with this title, he could accomplish more. He was an Avenger. Nothing could resist him, could it? If Steve thought he could handle fighting aliens, there's no reason why he couldn't put a smile back on his daughter's face.

"And yes" confirmed Steve. "And so now you are part of a bigger family and we are all going to help you protect Cassie. She is in our custody."

"Dear Lord! I remember when I was watching your first fight in New York on TV. At that time I had no idea... I mean, I didn't think anyone would ever be able to hold a candle to you. Seriously man, I felt very small compared to you ! And I was grateful that you existed to protect Cassie from threats I couldn't compete with. And she had little sparkles in her eyes when she talked about you! But I was always her favourite, eh!"

Scott began to share all his thoughts without thinking. He was now all there and Steve felt like he was back to the Ant Man he had been before. He couldn't help but smile at his friend's newfound good mood.

"So you can't imagine how I felt when Clint came to see me to go to this airport in Germany! Of course, I had already managed to defeat an Avenger in hand-to-hand combat a little earlier. In fact I don't even know how I did it. I can't tell you how I freaked out when I saw Sam on the roof! But it's different from being officially introduced to one of you. And then, afterwards, I saw all of you! I was so impressed! I wanted so badly to be up to the challenge! I wasn't even afraid of getting hurt because I knew that neither side wanted to get to that point. And it was way too cool! I would do it again without hesitation, even though I had some problems with Hope because of it. But you should have seen Cassie when I told her who I fought with..."

They had walked around the residential area and were now back in front of Ant-man's bedroom door. Scott looked much better than when they had left and Steve had a sense of accomplishment. He promised himself that he would do everything he could to help all his friends get out of their depression as well. He wanted to get back together as a group more than anything else. They needed each other so much. He had just found proof of that.

The Captain opened the bedroom door, his friend following him. But the two friends froze in front of the scene they discovered inside.

"... I flew away in my super blue armour. The thief was so surprised that he fell on his buttocks. And when I threatened him with the guns, he started crying like a big baby..."

Rhodey was sitting on the bed opposite to Cassie. The girl was sitting against large pillows and seemed to be listening to the soldier's voice. War Machine was making big burlesque gestures to illustrate the scene he was telling. And even though Cassie still seemed amorphous, the soldier had captured her attention. The scene was so sweet to Scott's heart that it brought tears to his eyes.  
"This is how I stopped the man who was trying to steal the Avengers. Thanks to this I was considered a hero by Tony Stark himself! If you want, I could ask him to build you a suit so that you too can stop the thieves." Rhodey exclaimed, raising his arms as a sign of victory.

"Hey," Scott said with a big smile, "don't give him the wrong idea! Thieves are cool, too!"

War Machine turned around and his eyes widened. He feared he had offended his new teammate, remembering that he had a criminal record. He lowered his arms with a sheepish look on his face.

"I'm... I'm sorry. I didn't realise you were back."

"No problem," Scott replied, sitting next to him facing his daughter. "Well, darling? Did you have fun with Uncle Rhodey?"

"Uncle Rhodey?"

"What?" said Scott, looking at him mockingly, "You like Sir Rhodes better?"

"Uh... no, no, no, the first one fits me perfectly."

The smile that the Ant Man sent back to him directly warmed the soldier's heart. Even Cassie's face seemed to show some satisfaction. For the first time since the slap, the soldier felt hope touching him. And Steve's gentle gaze confirmed to him that, even if some of it went missing, the Avengers' family was still there. And he felt ready to help anyone who needed it.

To be continued...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sarah, my dear beta reader, had to threaten me to get me to write. It's really harder than I imagined! But it also makes me happy. I've had this story in my head since Infinity Wars and it was End Game that convinced me to write it (even though I love the film).
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Next time Bruce and Nat will finally explain themselves!


	4. Just the itchy eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce and Nat have THE long-awaited conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!
> 
> I'm sorry I'm late! But this chapter was so hard to write! The conversation you are about to read was supposed to be 6 pages long. It is 16 pages long. I might as well tell you that I had to cut this chapter in half. The relationship between Bruce and Natasha is very complex, it is fascinating to decipher but I am so afraid to repeat myself!  
> Don't hesitate to tell me what you think.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

The black widow looked at Bruce Banner without saying a word. The scientist stood uncomfortably at the entrance to the room. Natasha's face was impassive and she looked at him with a sharp gaze, observing the features of his face. They hadn't had time to talk to each other before the battle. It had been a year since she had seen him. He hadn't lost his habit of biting his lip when he was embarrassed. Besides, the man hadn't changed much in two years. He still looked like an idiot who was trying to do the best he could but was constantly afraid of making a mistake. And always clumsy in his big body, as if he couldn't control it by himself. It was as if he never left.

Then the doctor looked up at her with his gentle eyes, and that's when she noticed a change. He may not have changed physically but she could feel that he was not the same. His eyes seemed brighter, clearer, as if he knew exactly what he wanted. He seemed to have grown up and she understood that his adventure in space had made him mature. He had seen things unimaginable for a human being and learned a lot where he was. Far away from her.

With her throat suddenly tight, Natasha broke eye contact and focused again on the pairs of gloves she was holding in her hand. She hated to notice that she was shaking.

"Bruce" she says in a sharp voice.

"Hi Nat."

His voice was shaky. It sounded like a teenager who was about to ask a girl to be his girlfriend. Natasha took up the irony with a certain bitterness.

There was an awkward silence. Dr. Banner always danced from one foot to the other at the entrance to the room, hesitating to step forward. And that annoyed the spy a lot. She did her best to ignore him, but she would soon run out of gloves. Where are the other pairs? Usually there were a lot more than that, weren't there? And besides, where was the right red glove? It wasn't in the box.

Bruce's breathing resonated in his head. It was clearly nervous. Natasha gritted her teeth. Why had Bruce come if he wasn't going to talk to her? Was he afraid of her? That was good. At least he realised he'd really screwed up. Maybe her fist in the doctor's face would do her good? No, it's better to hold back. What she wanted were explanations. And excuses. And she'd be surprised if, with a bruise on his cheek, Bruce would be willing to make one. So she threw herself into it, she couldn't stand the silence any longer.

"What's up?" she said in a dull voice.

No, she wasn't angry. She had no reason to be angry, nothing. Not even because the first time they had seen each other after more than a year apart, he had barely said hello. It's true, they had other fish to fry. She was completely calm. Ha, there's the yellow glove.

Bruce was startled at the sound of her voice and finally stopped moving. He watched her struggle with her gloves, his eyes staring at her intensely, his mouth open. Even from behind, she was incredibly strong. She is magnificent. Damn, he must really look like an idiot. In fact, he didn't expect her to talk to him first. He had to admit that it had taken him a long time to muster the courage to start a conversation, fearing the indifference of his interlocutor. When he answered her, his voice was soft, reassured that she agreed to talk to him. 

"A bit off the mark. Tired. There were a lot of wounded people. It's really hard with everything going on..."

"Yes. So much has happened so fast! Unbelievable, the coincidences. You come back after a year and the next day half the universe disappears. I have the impression that you bring bad luck. Maybe you shouldn't have come back. After all, without Thanos, we wouldn't have had the honour of your visit."

Aw, geez! She had spoken without thinking. That wasn't like her! Maybe she was a little less calm than she thought she was. Her tone was biting and showed all her anger. She felt frustrated with herself. She had learned to hide her emotions better than that! She had also said a lot of nonsense! It was the level of a schoolgirl arguing with her best friend! "I don't love you anymore anyway, you're bad luck!" It was really laughable! She would almost blush. Except that she was Black Widow, she was never ashamed. And Bruce would never make fun of her for something like that. But this man made her completely out of it!

Even without looking at him, she could feel Bruce tense, hurt by what she had just said. Natasha felt slightly satisfied. And maybe she felt a touch of guilt. Just a little. After all, he had started it all. He shouldn't have left.

All right, let's breathe. Even if she had reasons to be angry, it won't get her anywhere. She wanted to hear what he had to say before. Where the hell is that damn red glove? 

Dr. Banner couldn't say he didn't expect Natasha's biting tone. He was even legitimate. After all, Steve had warned him that she wouldn't be in a good mood. What he wanted most of all was to calm things down with the spy. That's why he came. So he finally decided to enter the gym with slow steps, hands up in the air as a sign of surrender.

"I understand that you are angry. I'm sorry. But..."

"Sorry for what? For running away?" 

The doctor stopped a few steps away from her. He tilted his head to the side, his eyes begging her to understand him. Understand what? That it was normal to have abandoned her? Really, what was the man going to invent to justify himself? Just breathe. The green glove with the green glove.

"I don't really know what happened that day. I wasn't myself, I remind you. And if I remember correctly, it was you who forced me to change."

OK, she didn't see that coming. Was he really going to blame her? She didn't think the doctor was capable of such a thing. That was low. She felt disgusted and the anger swelled up inside her. She gently put down the gloves she was holding and turned slowly towards the doctor, her eyes flashing.

"So you're going to tell me it's my fault that you chose to run away like a coward?" asked the spy in an extremely cold voice.  
At least he had the decency to appear ashamed. He seemed to shrivel up on himself. She looked really scary when she was angry! He replied in a high-pitched voice.

"No please Nat! That's not what I meant! It was the Hulk who made that decision. I don't really know what was going through his mind that day, but if there's one thing I'm sure of, it was that he wanted to protect you. It was one of the few things that he and I agreed on."   
And that was it. That's his favourite excuse. Protecting her. So they were going to fall back into this bottomless conversation, each thinking they knew better than the other. She couldn't believe they were still doing that. It was as if they had never left Clint's farm. The same arguments that were going around in the air and that still angered the spy so much. 

"Protect me from what? From him?"

"Probably."

She sighed in frustration. Damn it! They already had this conversation! Yes, the Hulk was scary! Yes, when he had transformed the first time, she had been very scared. After all, at that moment she hadn't become a hero yet. She was just a spy who suddenly found herself in front of a giant, green and furious monster. It wasn't the best first impression. Especially since at that moment there was no way to calm the beast down.

And then they had got to know each other. Hulk had agreed not to hurt the Avengers as long as they brought him his share of fighting. He loved banging on things and Natasha began to suspect that it was because fighting was something he had chosen. Something that with his overpowering strength he was sure he would succeed. After all, most of the time he had no control over anything that happened to him. It was Banner who ruled his body. It was Banner's enemies he was fighting, he didn't know why. So not to think too much about it, he would have fun knocking on anything he could find.

The Hulk hid a great gentleness in him. It had been difficult to find it but once it had been found, Natasha worked to bring it out more and more. For him and for Bruce. So that their relationship would be better by finding some common ground. And it had also shown how terrified the monster was. By others and by himself. He didn't know who he was. He acted like a child, afraid of the unknown world around him. And Natasha had become his anchor, the usual element allowing him to know that he was not lost. 

"I've already told you that. I don't believe the Hulk is a monster. He's a lost baby with too much strength."

"Exactly! He has no control! I can't control anything! And I love you very much Nat! I'd feel too bad if I hurt you!"

"So start trying to make up for it now!" the spy exploded. "How do you think I felt when I realised you weren't coming back? When the Hulk cut off the transmitter? When I understood that you had chosen for me! That you hadn't taken my wishes into account? You chose to run away rather than try! You chose to run away from me! When we said we'd disappear together! You did it without me!"

She had begun to shake with rage. It is even possible that her eyes were a little misty. Just a little. No, she wasn't going to cry about it. There were already too many tears today. No, no, no! She didn't feel at all that her heart, which had been glued back together with bad glue, was slowly tearing apart, piece by piece. 

My God, Bruce had just told her that he loved her. At a completely different time she would have been happy. It was about time he really admitted his feelings. But his statement had been completely drowned out by a year's worth of suffering. How could he say he loved her after leaving her alone for a year? A year is a very, very long time. Too long.

Dr. Banner had completely frozen during Natasha's tirade. He didn't expect this. He had expected more of an outburst of rage. He even thought he was going to get a few punches. But what he saw was above all pain hidden under a wave of anger. He wanted to hold her close to him, to reassure her. My God, he's been dreaming of doing this ever since he realised he was in love. But there was a dark vision hidden in the back of his mind. The one of him turning into the Hulk while Natasha was in his arms. And even though Hulk seemed not to want to hurt the young woman, she would inevitably end up crushed in the process.

Yes, they had told each other that they would leave together. And he had believed that for a few moments. A sweet ephemeral dream that had broken just as he had turned back into the Hulk. No matter how much he rejected it, the Hulk would always be there, waiting. As soon as something went wrong, he would transform, whether he wanted to or not. And he wasn't fooled. He knew very well that neither he nor Natasha would be able to leave the Avengers for good. They will always come back to help their friends. And unfortunately, there was no way for the bad guys to leave the superheroes alone. 

And it annoyed him that Natasha could still believe it. No matter how much they wanted to be together, there would always be something to stand in their way, whether it was the Hulk, a villain or even the other Avengers. Eventually they will find out that it's too dangerous or too complicated. After all, a superhero rarely manages to have a life outside of work. Because that work ruins their lives.

Yes, it's true, Hulk had run away. Hulk had been afraid of hurting Natasha. Bruce understood him. Well, he might not have done it the same way, but the result would have been the same, no matter what might have happened. The doctor felt a little frustrated that the spy could blame him for trying to protect her. Why was she mad at him anyway, he was not the one who made the final decision! He hadn't chosen to leave the Earth!

Nat was unfair. Was it anger rising inside him? He shook his head to clear his head. What's this? He didn't feel the Hulk. But whenever he felt the slightest ounce of anger, the green giant liked to show up. He must have been hiding deep inside him. Thanos must have scared the hell out of him! He tried not to think about it. The idea that there might be a being that could terrify the Hulk was really not reassuring.  
But this was not the time to focus on the Hulk's feelings. He would talk to him later. For now, the doctor didn't want to be blamed for something that had hurt him too. He took a breath to calm himself down. He understood that Natasha had suffered a lot and he was sorry. But had anyone thought for a second about what he had gone through? Had she thought about it before criticizing him?

"Do you think it was easy for me to wake up on an unknown planet, light years away from Earth, a year after my last memory?" he asked in a calm voice. Do you think I didn't blame the Hulk? Or you, for forcing me to transform? I don't really feel like I was given a choice either. I now find myself projected into a world I barely recognise with Avengers I don't know and our group, the ones I considered my family, disunited, angry at each other... wondering if the family that I had before I left was just a dream. You know how I feel Nat? I feel like you used me as a weapon during the Battle of Sokovia! After all that's what I am, just a weapon for you, isn't it?"

This was what hurt the doctor the most. With the Avengers he had found a real family. It was something he thought he could never have again after his accident. And he really loved them all. Whether it was Tony with his crazy ideas, Clint with his crazy sense of humour, Thor with his old-fashioned manners, Steve with his sense of honour. And Nat... they were all good together. Alone in front of the whole world, united no matter what... At least that's what he thought.

And even then, there was always an uneasy feeling that he couldn't repress despite his efforts. Were the Avengers really his friends? Did they keep him because they really liked him? Or did they just want to keep an eye on him and use him if something went wrong? Where was the line between work colleagues and friends? If one day there were no bad guys at all, which is very unlikely, would they still be friends? He tried not to think about it too much and let himself be convinced that he was loved for him, with his good and bad sides.

He had been away for a year. Just one year. And when he came back, he was told that everything that had been the foundation of his life with the Avengers had been shattered. His friends didn't speak to each other anymore. Some of them were even on the run. Public opinion was against them. And new faces had joined the team. Unknown faces. Superheroes who were less frightening than he was, who were less likely to destroy a city and who could more easily protect people. In short, he felt like he was no longer part of the team. That he had been replaced. That there was no longer a place for him in this world.

Natasha stood still and watched him with piercing eyes. She looked at every part of his body to see if he really meant what he said. Then disbelief came over her face as she understood the doctor's sincerity. Her anger slowly melted away, replaced by a feeling of sadness.

"What are you talking about? You didn't see how Steve was feeling when you disappeared! Or how depressed Stark was! Wanda's guilt. Even Clint wasn't as funny! And me... You don't know what it was like. I was all alone... I lost everything in that damn civil war! And sometimes I really think that if you had been there, it would never have happened. You were always the wisest of us. You could have calmed the troops down. But you weren't there. And I found myself alone."

She can't help but lower her head. There was a lot of dust in that gymnasium. Her eyes stung. She felt a feeling of despair overwhelming her. The same feeling she had felt when Stark announced that his satellites hadn't found the Hulk. The same one that came over her when she realized she had to choose a side. That there was no way to keep her family together.

Bruce approached her in slow, slow steps. His right hand came up, hesitantly, but finally he let it fall to his side. What an idiot he was. He was complaining about the Avengers splitting up, but when he got there after the battle, all he had to do was observe the consequences. Nat had been at the centre of the fighting. She had to choose. Feeling her family being torn apart from the inside without being able to do anything about it. Watching the life she had built disappear... It couldn't have been easy.

"I'm really sorry I wasn't there. But I'm not sure there was anything I could have done."

Bruce bit his lip. He didn't really know what he had to do now. He needed to explain, he needed Nat to understand! He didn't want her to blame him! But she wasn't going to like what he was going to say.

Natasha raised her head as she felt the doctor's hands on her shoulders. Their eyes met. The man's eyes seemed slightly anxious but determined. Hers were watery. It was to remove the dust. Stupid stinging eyes! 

“Do you want me to tell you?” said the doctor in a soft voice, his eyes never leaving his friend's. “If I'd done it again or if I'd been Bruce instead of the Hulk then I'd have gone anyway. Well maybe not to the other end of the universe, but at least not to the same country.”  
As expected, the spy looked injured. She moved her shoulders away with a sharp movement. Bruce let her do it and let his arms fall down.  
“You... you chose for me!” she exclaimed, her voice cracking slightly. “You didn't take into account what I wanted! As if you didn't trust me or didn't think I was capable of making my own decisions.”

"You don't know everything, Nat! You... You're not lucid when it comes to me! I'm the only one who knows what it's all about!"

It might sound pretentious, but it was true. Natasha didn't know, but Bruce did. He wished he hadn't.

She gave him a dark look.

"You think I don't know the risks? »

"No, you don't know," replied the doctor in a firm voice. "You don't know what could happen! But I saw it!"

She frowned.

"What are you talking about?"

The man passed a hand over his face with a sigh. 

"Do you remember, just before Ultron, when Wanda played with our brains?"

"Are you talking about when the Hulk almost killed us when he panicked because of the vision that Wanda's powers showed him?" 

Bruce swallowed. It was a bad memory.

"Yeah."

"But you told us you had no idea what this vision was about!"

"Yeah, well, maybe I lied a little bit." muttered the doctor. "That vision was a little too horrible for me to talk about. I wanted to take the time to digest what I had seen. But less than a week later I was stuck in the Hulk's body on another planet. I think this vision also disturbed the green giant a lot."

A shiver went up his spine. Natasha crossed her arms.

"So he has a lot of feelings too." she said scowlingly.

"I've never said otherwise," Bruce replied. "It's true he's not really bad, but he's completely out of control and even he knows it. That's why this vision scared him so much. What we saw was not pleasant for any of us and we would never want it to come true. Just the thought of it makes me... I'm still shaking," Bruce whispered, his eyes blank.

He winced. Natasha didn't move and waited impatiently for him to finally explain to her what he had seen. This had discouraged an eminent physics professor from living with the woman he loved. This should be interesting... 

The doctor swallowed. 

"He... There were all the Avengers... Well, the ones at that time... who were chasing me... Or rather the Hulk... They wanted to kill him because he was too unstable and... I could feel his fear... the fear of never being accepted. That's why he was so good over there, on that planet. The Greatmaster adored him. Well, I rather think he used him, as if he was an object of entertainment that belonged to him... But at least he felt appreciated."

"But... The Hulk knew I liked him, didn't he?" Natasha asked softly.

If he didn't, she would feel really hurt. She felt like the three of them had formed a beautiful bond. 

Bruce nodded.

"Yes, but... He also knew that you loved me more than him. Moreover... At the end of the vision the bodies of the Avengers were scattered on the ground and the Hulk had blood on his hands. And there, believe it or not, I felt the Hulk's heart squeeze. That's when you appeared to accuse us of killing them. You then said we were useless. And you tried to kill us but... In an instant you were on the ground. I... We had unintentionally crushed you. The Hulk chose to leave rather than to hurt you... Or to see that one day you'd end up hating us.”

Sore throat is a disease that is easily caught in this room. Natasha pretended she didn't hear Bruce's voice breaking. Eventually she understood. She wasn't just the Hulk's anchor. She was Bruce's anchor too. Since his accident, Bruce was hiding from the rest of the world. And it wasn't until he met Natasha that he began to show himself again. When he felt weak, she was the one who tried to bring him back to the surface. But the teacher was afraid that in the process she too would drown. So he would rather break the bond between them, even if it meant separating them for good, than for her to be hurt because of him. It was... Cute. But stupid!

She grabbed one of the professor's hands. 

"I'll never hate you."

He seemed to doubt it. It was frustrating that he didn't trust her. But somehow she understood. She had been like him. And she had had more time to understand that she had real friends who wouldn't abandon her.

"I understand very well how you felt. You know, what Wanda showed me that day... For me it was a memory of the past, not a possible future. But the feelings, the fears she showed me... It's the same thing." 

Shit, here come the stinging eyes again. It was annoying. Just like Bruce, the memory of this vision was really disturbing. Of course, that was Wanda's goal. To bring out their deepest fears. Well done, well done! But then again, the spy wasn't mad at her. After all, the Red Witch had been manipulated by Hydra. She had been conditioned. Just like she was.

"When I was young, I was taught not to have feelings in order to be the best weapon. As soon as you developed a semblance of friendship for one of the other girls, you had to fight to the death. I was told that feelings could be dangerous. So I could never know what a real family was like. I don't even know who my parents were but I think they must have been political opponents and had to be executed. The government took me back when I was still a baby. I never knew what love was." 

She felt like she was talking about another life. It was as if her memories belonged to another. She saw everything through the eyes of a heartless person, without feelings. And that proved to her once again how much better she was now. She felt alive.

"So when I arrived in the Avengers' team, I was afraid I'd ruin everything. That you would find out I was a bad person and reject me. After all, who would want a heartless murderer for a friend? Like you, I was terrified that you would keep me only as a weapon and that as soon as you didn't need me anymore, you would reject me. That was the vision that Wanda showed me."

Before this vision, she hadn't thought about her past for a long, long time. It was easier for her to forget it. She would rather rewrite her history.It wasn't in Russia that she had learned to fight, but within the Shield. It was there that she had found a reason to be at her best. She finally knew what she was fighting for.

The Avengers had shown her that she was not alone. She even wondered if others had felt the same fear as she did. After all, they had not chosen to form this group. The fear of being rejected, of not being accepted for who you are, is natural. But now she knew she could count on those people who could understand her. Who also have a painful past. Who were looking for their place. And it seemed to her that they had found it together. 

Bruce sniffed. He let go of her hand, shaking his head slowly.

"I'm sorry, but it's not quite the same. You grew up in that kind of world, a world of super spies. You've been trained all your life to fight powerful people. But me- I became a monster overnight, without wanting to. I was just an ordinary human, without the ambition to become a hero like Steve or Tony. And I didn't grow up with that idea like you, Clint or Thor. I lost everything when I became the Hulk."

There was great pain in the doctor's voice. His accident was still fresh in his memory. It had been traumatic. He thought he had found the greatest idea with gamma rays. And he had suddenly fallen off his foot. His life had changed radically. If he hadn't found the Avengers, what would have happened? Perhaps he would still be in India helping as many people as possible, hiding deep in the slums. Forever alone to atone for his pride.

Natasha bit her lip. She was disappointed that six years with them hadn't made Bruce feel at home with the Avengers. The man had this persistent idea that the appearance of the Hulk was a punishment for being too pretentious. It was still something that annoyed the spy a lot. The scientist turned serendipity and misfortune into a direct consequence of his choices, as if a vengeful God had sent a curse on him to prevent him from continuing his research, which were too ambitious for mankind. And it was this idea that drove him to distance himself from others.

But the spy wasn't fooled. She realized that there was an element of selfishness in his fear of making new bonds. It was a perfect excuse to justify himself. All to his misery, he didn't see the others' misery. The pain he had caused to her. This man was almost cruel in talking to her about choices. He's not the only one who didn't have any.

She felt her body tensing up and her fists clenching. She tried to calm herself by taking deep breaths. She didn't want to look him in the eyes. She replied, her eyes fixed on the man's chest in front of her. Her voice was low, cold and threatening.

"Do you think I had a choice? Did you listen to me when I told you that I was taken away from my family when I was a baby? Believe me, I didn't have the luxury of refusing to practice. They weren't exactly tender. We weren't even allowed to make friends since we were all competing for survival. Just because I was raised that way doesn't mean it was the life I wanted. I just didn't know anything else."

Pools of blood. That's what she remembered best from those years. They were everywhere. In the courtyard, on the stairs, in the refectory... They were bloody footprints that led them to their beds. They were only allowed to clean the blood once a week. It reminded them of what would happen to them if they weren't the best. And every week, the floor was again full of blood and at least two girls were missing. They had learned to live under the yoke of this red liquid. And the only feeling they had in front of it was that it smelled bad.

"When Clint offered me the opportunity to join the Shield I did not do it in the hope of using my strengths for a good cause. I just wanted to live quietly, without getting beaten up. I don't know how Clint could see anything good in me. I only saw him as a tool to get what I wanted. When he offered me his friendship, I didn't understand what he was saying. I didn't think that one day I would feel something like that. Then there were all the other Avengers. With you, I felt like I knew what I was fighting for, that my heart had a reason to beat..."

Sometimes she would wake up in a sweat, a scream stuck in her throat, with the impression that her hands were stained with blood. And her first reflex was to get a cloth to wipe them clean. She would tremble, wondering which of her friends the blood belonged to. She let go of the cloth when she realized that her hands were actually clean, holding back tears of relief. She folded it carefully on her bedside table just in case. Then she would go back to bed as if nothing had happened. 

The young woman's voice grew louder and louder. She wanted to shout out her dismay in front of the man she loved. The more she spoke, the more the doctor's eyes widened, realizing how clumsy he had been for daring to compare their two situations. She didn't talk much about her past, but it wasn't hard to look at her and understand that she knew what it was like to go through hell.

"And then I understood that I loved you more than the others... I didn't think I could fall in love. At first I thought I was playing with you a little bit because you were cute trying to be cool. And then I saw your mask and I challenged myself to find out what was behind it. It was scary but I liked it. I liked you because I really saw who you were, with all your sides, the good ones and the bad ones. And I accepted them all. I'd be lying to you if I said it wasn't scary at first, especially when you first transformed in front of me before New York. I saw you and I loved you, all of you. And when I realized that... I've learned all my life not to have feelings, but being in love with you made me feel more human. I didn't want to hide it. It was like a new breath, a new life! I was ready to do anything for you. But I just felt like you were denying me a normal life!"

Her body trembled, with rage and sadness. Did feeling emotions make her weaker? Perhaps. Did falling in love make her suffer? You could say that. But was it worth it? Completely. She didn't want to let her past or her fear of the future spoil her present. And that's what Bruce had to understand. However, it was also true that the spy had had more time than the doctor to accept what she had become. After all, the Hulk had appeared barely a year before the Avengers were formed. Natasha wanted to help him more than anything else, but to do so, this idiot had to stop hiding his face and accept to move forward.

As soon as she finished speaking, Bruce filled the distance between them with a big step and hugged her. He too was shaking.

"Oh, Nat! I'm such an idiot! I'm so sorry!" 

Natasha melted into the embrace, placing her forehead against the man's chest, listening to his heartbeat with her eyes closed. She had been dreaming about it for so long. But she did not try to contradict him. It was HER idiot. If he had realized this, there is no need to rub it in. She closed her eyes and savored the moment. They stood still for a while until the doctor decided to speak again.

"My ex left me because I became the Hulk. I thought that because of this no woman could see me without being afraid, that love for me was over. So when you told me you wanted to be with me... At first I really thought you were making fun of me. But I must admit that I liked your stubbornness more and more. And before I could realize what was happening, I fell in love with you too."

He tightened his embrace.

"And it scared me."

He dared to put his chin in the woman's hair. He closed his eyes, concentrating on all the places where their bodies were connected. 

Natasha was way too good for him. Was there really hope? Did he have the right to pretend to love her?

"After all, who could love a monster?”

"Another monster, no doubt" replied the young woman, raising her shoulders. "We are made to understand each other.”

"You're not a monster Nat," whispered the scientist, slowly stroking her back.

"If you think that, then you don't know me."

"Of course I do. I remind you that I've seen you fight before. Just because you know how to kill doesn't make you a monster. Your past doesn't matter. What you've done with the Shield easily redeems it."

He grabbed the young woman's face to make her look up at him. He saw mistrust and fear of being abandoned again. But he also saw hope and love. He stroked her cheek with his thumb. 

"I can see what a beautiful person you are, Nat."

"If you think that for me then you have to think that for yourself too. That's what I can see," the spy answered tenderly.

Bruce pushed a small sigh and put his forehead against Natasha's.

"Maybe that's the only reason why we've become attached to each other. We're the only ones who can really see ourselves as we are. "He says with sadness.

"That's not quite true."

It was the spy's turn to force him to look her in the eye, a hand under the man's chin.

"I remind you that the Avengers are also able to see us clearly." 

Bruce wanted to answer, but she cut him off.

"If there's one thing I've learned in this past year... it's that I really like this team... and I think they like us too. I trust them... even when we don't have the same opinions. Unlike you, I didn't run away from them despite my fear. I stayed until the end... Thanks to them, I am less afraid of myself or others. When are you going to understand that we are stronger together? That they accept us as we are?" 

She tightened the hand that held the man's chin and brought his face closer to hers.

"My trust is hard to get. And you were one of the Avengers I trusted the most, but you betrayed it by abandoning me," she concluded before pushing him away and crossing her arms again.

And once again, Bruce found himself embarrassed before her eyes, hopping from one foot to the other. 

"Really Nat, I'm sorry. All I was thinking about was protecting you."

"Look at me. I am a murderer who has spent his life training. I don't need to be protected. And if you think the other way, then you don't know me well enough or you're an idiot."

"I remind you that I have three doctorates! But I'll admit that love has taken away, say, 10% of my ability to think," he said with a small smile.  
Natacha gave him a black look.

"Only 10%?"

"Hey! On my scale, it's huge, I promise you!" The man defended himself by raising his two hands in sign of surrender. 

He stared at her for a few moments without moving. He then lowered his hands and whispered, looking down at the ground: "But it is true that it is perhaps 50% of my intellectual capacities that disappear in your presence."

"It's nice that you recognize that."

She had a little smile and crossed her arms. Bruce slowly raised his head and looked up again. The suspicion was gone, but there was still a small spark of disappointment. So he decided to declare: "I am completely sincere. I'm really in love with you, Nat."

"So am I, you idiot." She answered as a natural response, which immediately relaxed the man.

"But," continued the spy, "I want to be able to choose for myself whether or not I think it's worth trying something between us in spite of the danger." 

" All right."

He realized that he was now ready to accept anything to stay close to her. If his love had been able to survive a year trapped in the Hulk's body, nothing he would do could destroy it. So he accepted, despite the risks. And he realized that it did him good.

"I want to run to you. Choose a future with you, even if you think there isn't one," Natasha continued, looking him in the eyes, as if she didn't believe him.

"If you're sure."

He was amazed by this woman who wanted to stay close to him. He didn't know what he had done to deserve such a chance. Life had not accustomed him to good fortune. But he wouldn't change his past for anything in the world if it meant that he was going to live beside Natasha.

Overwhelmed by his love for her, he felt his eyes sting. The gym was dusty. It' s normal since the battle, it had been neglected by the warriors who were busy elsewhere. He had a small cough.

If Natasha felt his trouble, she didn't show it. But her eyes became softer and she changed the subject.

"I can't wait for you to tell us about your adventures. To see if it was really worth it to leave".

Bruce quickly wiped his eyes before responding with a shrug: "They won't be very hectic because I was Hulk most of the time."

He took her hand.

"Besides, we have plenty of time now to talk about it. I won't run away anymore."

"You'd better not if you care about your teeth!"

And for the first time since Thanos, the two heroes had a real smile.

Natasha felt a weight fly off her shoulders. She hadn't felt this good in a long time. Because the cataclysm that Thanos had caused had brought her family together. The Avengers were united again, and for her there was no doubt that they would succeed in reversing the snap together. Because the man she loved was with her again. And also because she had managed to help her best friend a little. 

Speaking of the devil, Natasha heard footsteps behind her. She glanced over and saw the archer, a towel around his neck and dripping hair coming towards them. Seeing him from afar, the man gave her a questioning glance.

" You' re still here? Were you waiting for me? I thought we should meet in the hall..."

At that moment, he saw the doctor who until then had been hidden by the spy. He stopped short and the shadow of a smile passed over his face. 

"Well? Look who's here? I heard that you were back!" 

Bruce tensed up slightly as the archer approached him with large steps, but before he could make a move, the archer grabbed him and hugged him. The doctor's smile returned immediately, tapping clumsily on his friend's back. Then, after the brief hug, Clint walked away to look at him up and down with a slightly disappointed look on his face. 

"How come you still have all your teeth? Nat! You were supposed to teach him how to leave a battle without breaking the hearts of his entire team," he complained, turning to the spy. 

Bruce blushed violently, making Natasha laugh softly. 

"Let's say we've reached a compromise." 

"A compromise?"

The archer's gaze quickly shifted from one to the other, scrutinizing their faces. 

"Have you finally confessed your feelings?" he asked in a clearly teasing tone. 

It was Natasha's turn to blush as the doctor's jaw seemed to drop. Clint had a small mocking laugh.

"What? But- how-"

" Laura told me," replied the archer in a soft voice. A flash of pain passed through his eyes when he pronounced his wife's name. "She realized it directly when you came before Sokovia. She's always been good at noticing these things."

His voice broke slightly. Worried, Bruce approached him, giving Natasha a helpless look. Knowing that they could do nothing for the moment, she tried to distract her friend from his grief.

"Yes, well, she might have been right. That stupid doctor admitted that he liked me a lot and that he had run away to protect me, blah blah blah. And it's true that after that confession my desire to hit him diminished."

"Hey," Bruce protested weakly. "That's not quite how it happened..."

Clint wiped away his tears with a flutter of his eyelids and looked at his friend.

"Well, it's about time." He said sniffling.

"It's true it took him a while."

Bruce growled slightly.

"At least you're here now. You'll be a great help to kick that Thanos's ass!" declared the archer sharply.

Hope was beginning to take shape in the archer's heart. His friend had returned and with his help, his family will soon do the same, he is sure.

"Yeah. Well, for that to happen, the Hulk would have to stop sulking and show himself," the doctor grumbled.

Clint felt his shoulders drop.

"But of course he will," Natasha exclaimed, giving Bruce a warning look. (Currently, only positive thoughts were accepted!) "He loves fighting too much to miss this!"

Bruce smiled a sheepish smile and put a comforting hand on the archer's shoulder.

"You're right," he said. "We will defeat Thanos and bring back the missing. Together!"

"About that," Clint said after taking a deep breath. "It's time to go see what others are up to. It's time to get moving."

And the three of them walked out of the gym.

"By the way, Clint, if you tell anyone about what happened..."

The archer laughed softly.

To be continued...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is said that the greater the expectation, the easier it is to be disappointed. I hope you still enjoyed this chapter. For my part, it does not satisfy me 100% but at one point I had to move on. I'm a big fan of the Bruce/Nat couple and I hope I managed to do him a minimum honor (unlike Endgame!).

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, everybody! I started this translation mainly to prove to LAZOU, the original writer, that I could do better than her! But as I reread and translated the story, I became attached to it. I hope Zoe won't mind me saying it's also a bit my baby? Like her, English is not my mother tongue, so I'll ask you for a little indulgence on that side. If you spot any recurring mistakes, don't hesitate to let us know!  
> Thank you to you for following us in this adventure and have fun.  
> Sarah


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